Kettering dance event Strictly for Sebastian set to raise more than £35,000 for outdoor activity area at NGH

Hundreds of supporters of Kettering schoolboy Sebastian Nunney, who lost his battle with cancer last month, will gather at Wicksteed Park for a event in his honour.

Strictly for Sebastian marks the final chapter in the fundraising story that has seen members of the community rally to help the six-year-old and his family.

Last week mourners paid their respects to Sebastian at his funeral service in Kettering – many of those present will dance in his memory and to raise funds for the hospital where he was treated.

Dad Gregg Nunney will host the evening that is set to raise more than £35,000 to go towards an activity area for children at Northampton General Hospital (NGH).

Gregg said: “We are amazed by the amount of time and effort that all of the Strictly for Sebastian contestants have put in so far.

"Some of the show dances are a marvel to behold. I’ll be doing my bit to say thank you by hosting the evening, but, most importantly, Sebastian would have absolutely loved it.

“We will have an audience of 850 in Wicksteed Park and, hopefully, many more watching it live at www.strictly4sebastian.com from 6.30pm. There’s definitely nothing better on the telly.

”We can't thank Lisa Tartaglia from MaSh dance enough for conceiving and organising this whole event.”

Sebastian spent many hours at NGH’s Disney and Paddington wards, where many local children with long-term illnesses are treated.

Gregg said: “The medical team have always been brilliant with Sebastian, and the doctor, nurses and health care assistants became a kind of extended family for Sebastian over the past four years. What made those visits, and those extended stays, tolerable for all of us, however, was the activity centre."

Money raised by Strictly For Sebastian will fund a new improved outside therapeutic play space with vastly improved accessibility for all children of all abilities.

Gemma Stockton, children’s lead Macmillan nurse at NGH, said: “For a child, being able to play whilst being treated in hospital is really important for their recovery as it is reassuring and familiar, enabling children to express their feelings and anxieties.

“Play is also vital in helping children to comprehend what is happening to them, which in turn helps them cope with receiving treatment.”

All the money raised by the Strictly For Sebastian event will go to the new centre.

Gregg said: “Sebastian loved the activity centre. It meant that hospital was an adventure rather than a challenge and the team made sure that he always had a smile on his face. Every penny of the Strictly for Sebastian money will go to this worthy project – and we couldn’t think of a more fitting legacy for such a fun-loving hero.”

Remaining money raised by the Team Sebastian page – more than £131,000 – will be used to help other families with life-limiting conditions.

Gregg added: “Families of children with long-term health conditions will all have their own story about the hidden costs and challenges, but Young Lives vs Cancer suggested that a cancer diagnosis can cost a family between £650 to £750 a month. Not everyone is lucky enough to have employers like ours – Latimer Arts College and Pen Green Centre for Children and Families – and that’s why we want to ensure that Sebastian’s legacy is to support those families.

“We couldn’t use the generous sums raised by Team Sebastian to pay for treatment, but we can use it to support others who are on similar journeys to ours – whether it’s with petrol money, vouchers and gift cards to be handed out on the ward for food and drink, or for those sundries and essentials that become even more valuable during a hospital stay.

"We were able to make incredible memories with Sebastian last year – giving us hundreds of photos and videos to remember him by in a positive way – and if Sebastian’s legacy can help others do the same then we know it is money well spent.”

People can follow all the action from the sold-out event by going to the dedicated channel at www.strictly4sebastian.com.